Dalits in Bollywood: from Endurance to Resistance- a Historical Approach
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ISSN 2249-4529 Lapis Lazuli An International Literary Journal WWW.PINTERSOCIETY.COM VOL.5 / NO.2/ AUTUMN 2015 Dalits in Bollywood: From Endurance to Resistance- A Historical Approach Farhana Naaz Mohosin Mandal ______________________________________________________________________________ Abstract: Cinema reflects all the complexities of the society like other forms of art. The advantage with cinema is that it can reach out to wider audience and can influence their psyche. With this huge capacity cinema also bears the huge responsibility of seeking truth and providing platform to the marginalized people. In India Dalits are the most oppressed social group and their suffering has a long history. It is rooted in the ancient past. Indian film industry especially Bollywood makes continuous effort to put critical insight on the plight of untouchables and explores the root causes of their suffering. This paper takes a historical approach to trace the process of their subjugation. At the same time it focuses on the evolution of Bollywood movies in portraying Dalit issues with the transition in Dalit society. 160| P a g e VOL.5 / NO.2/ AUTUMN 2015 Key words- Dalit, Cinema, Bollywood, Society, Aryans, History, Culture, Oppression, Plight, Resistance. ______________________________________________________________________________ To be an Untouchable in the Indian caste system is to be very low in, and partially excluded from, an elaborate hierarchical social order. Untouchables are persons of a discrete set of low castes, excluded on account of their extreme collective impurity from particular relations with higher beings (both human and divine). (Dalits in Modern India: S. M Michael 16) The term Dalit, like “Black”, has multiple connotations. Before analysing the present scenario of dalits we should at first study the “cultural and historical rootedness of the category Dalit (Michael 15).” Dalit oppression has a long, dark history which is rooted in the ancient past. Around 1500 B.C Aryans came to India through the North East region and uprooted the natives of the land. Ancient scriptures like Rig Veda support this view. As Aryans had much strong, skilled and well equipped army, the native peace loving people could not resist their invasion. After the victory Aryans formed a notion of cultural superiority. They treated the local inhabitants, “as culturally inferior and shunned as ritually unclean (Michael 17).” They were not willing to consider the locals even as humans, who were labelled as amanushya (non- humans) or krishnavarna (dark skinned). Aryans looted all the resources, land and properties of the natives. They captured the centre and pushed the natives to the periphery. Geographically too, natives were not allowed to dwell in the main locality. When Aryans conquered the vast fertile land, they felt the need of skilled labourers. They forcibly made natives the work force. Those who accepted the slavery 161 | P a g e Lapis Lazuli An International Literary Journal were made life-time bonded slaves, and those who refused to surrender were brutally executed. Aryans treated woman as the cultural bearer and personal property. To maintain the purity of their own clan, they strictly prohibited the marriage with non-Aryans. But as they were in short of women, they made some relaxation in marrying native girl. Ages come and pass away, dynasts change, but the slavery of Dalits continues over thousand years. Social, economic and cultural reasons are the root causes behind the doomed status of Dalits. They were deprived of their own resources. Innumerable attempts have been made to demean their culture and heritage. Ancient scriptures, mythical stories project them as demons and militants. Destruction of the pre- Aryans civilizations and the slaughter of the non- Aryans in the hand of Aryans have been justified as well as glorified.The contempt and hostility towards Dalits have been internalized so deeply and artistically that even today Indian society cannot embrace them whole heartedly. At the same time the conscience of society is indifferent towards the plights of Dalits and deaf to their cry. Cinema reflects all the complexities of the society like other forms of art. The advantage with cinema is that it can reach out to the wide audience and can influence their mind. With this huge capacity cinema also bears the huge responsibility of seeking truth and providing platform to the marginalized people. Indian cinema has a rich cultural heritage and now it is considered as one of the most rich and popular film industries. But the most popular trends in Indian cinema mainly Bollywood are romantic and heroic. Indian mass movie goers mainly visit cinema houses for entertainment. So keeping the trend and marketing in mind filmmakers normally do not want to go beyond the set patterns. As a results the evils of society, naked truth, down trodden section, inhuman pathetic condition of the marginalised section do not reflect significantly in the movie 162 VOL.5 / NO.2/ AUTUMN 2015 screen. The severe and complex problems of Dalits could not get much space in the mainstream commercial films. Still we cannot be completely critical about the approach of Bollywood. Even before independence while Bollywood was itself in its infancy, it handled the caste system with artistry which is,“the fundamental and core feature of India‟s social structure (Narayan 20).” Especially the efforts of parallel movies, though not much in number are admirable. The issues these movies pick up and the artistic way they present them before the audience catch international attention and receive critical acclaim from all over the world. In dealing with Dalit issues Indian cinema evolves a lot with the transition and evolution in the Dalit society as cinema, like “Sociology grows and changes continually in response to new phenomena within world societies, to discoveries and insights within the discipline itself and to the mandate for ever-increasing relevancy that comes from the very people whom sociologists study (Michael 13).”The earlier movies of this kind just present the plights and social obstacles they face in their life and society. Here Dalits characters are helpless, silent sufferers, worthy of getting sympathy. They do not have voice and courage enough to revolt and cross the social obstacles. But the Dalit characters of contemporary time mainly after 1990s hit at the root of social structure and attack the establishment. They critically challenge all the oppressive norms, social custom and value system which are responsible for the marginalised position of Dalits. At the same time they offer,“a new humanity based on the values of equality, social justice and human dignity (Michael 14).” Dalits made their presence in Bollywood for the first time in the year 1936 with Achhuth Kanya(Untouchable Maiden), directed by Franz Osten, is the first attempt to gather some courage and present the conditions of Dalit women and inter- caste love affair. The movie turned 163 | P a g e Lapis Lazuli An International Literary Journal out to be one of the super-hits of that time. The dejected love affair of Kasturi (an untouchable maiden) with Pratap (a brahmin) and her tragic demise fills our heart with contempt. This is, probably, the first major effort to present the misery of the submissive Dalit woman on a big screen. Much later, movies like Ankur (1974), directed by Shayam Benegal provides a little broader view of Dalit women. Lakshmi(a Dalit woman), one of the main characters is brave enough to act according to her needs and whims, irrespective of the traditions and cultures prevailing in the society. Surprisingly, she is depicted more daring than Surya, the other leading character. The adultery she commits is a bold attempt from a Dalit woman in the conservative Indian society. She breaks the social taboos regarding female sexuality encoded in social institution and claims her demand on her own body. This movie is again embedded with the hypocrisy of the upper caste and class. The cinema artists of Indian cinema did not overlook the sighs, pangs and the pathetic condition of Dalit women who are the worst victim of caste system. They were humiliated in every possible way. Socially they were treated as untouchable but upper- caste men do not leave their claim over their bodies. They were treated as sexual tool to gratify the lust of higher class men. Justice is a farfetched dream to them. On the contrary they are accused, humiliated, physically and mentally tortured and made outcast. Their lives and voices fade into oblivion. Indian cinema critically explores the mockery in the name of justice in society, dominated by upper- class. Here the culprits announce judgement and the victims are punished just because of their respective position in caste system. Movies also capture the resistance from Dalits which is sometimes violent. We cannot expect non- violent attitude from them when every door of justice is shut down. Indian cinema always supports their causes and tries to justify their approach. This 164 VOL.5 / NO.2/ AUTUMN 2015 kind of movies startled the conscience of the audience. They are made to think from different angle. The movie Eklavya by Vidhu Vinod Chopra is a 2007 Bollywood Drama Film based on the history of Dalits. The story spins around Eklavya the royal guard, whose Dharma is to protect his king and the dynasty. Here the character Pannalal Chauhan (Sanjay Dutt), an untouchable, as a DSP justifies the need of education for the uplift of Dalit community. His critical attitude towards the feudal mentality of the king is worth appreciating. He expresses the agony these untouchables undergo, “jis tarha tum naye gharon ke udghatan ke liye nariyal phodhte ho na, usi tarha ye log humara sar phodh diya karte they taaki kisi ki buri nazar na lage” (the way you break coconut on the inaugural ceremony, these people used to break our head to avoid the evil eyes).